Watch Your Step, Master
by IceChalk
Summary: The start of Dark Link's first adventure into the Silent Realm. His shadow sword spirit's sarcastic attitude really doesn't make things better.


...

"For a silent realm," Dark Link observed, "it isn't very silent."

"It's a silent realm, in the fact," Siri's voice quipped, "that you do not speak while in the trial. You defeat the purpose, _Master_, when you aren't _quiet_." Her voice didn't hold the least bit of respect and instead a touch of poison. Dark just shrugged it off. It wasn't like his shadow sword spirit was absolutely ecstatic to serve him.

"Complete the trial, collect all the tears, avoid the guardians," Siri went on, her prior tune settling into an informative one of mild care. "Due to the fact your spirit is separated from your actual body for the period of this trial, I can't follow you and you have no defenses. Do you see that humanoid creature standing far before you?"

Dark observed with his eyes, pupiless and blood red. Having been extracted from his body, his spirit assumed his specter form, one he used to visit other planes of life; hence was the case of the Silent Realm. The guardian, the creature without a true face but a large club-like weapon to make up for it, stood valiant, tall, and threatening.

"That is a ground guardian. If you manage to get yourself clubbed, your spirit will shatter and you'll fail the trial," Siri responded. "There are sky guardians, too. They hover above the ground and won't be hindered by obstacles. I suggest you take good care when in their presence as well, since they're capable of the same thing as their kin."

"What makes you think I can't handle them?" Dark inquired cockily. "They don't look that menacing. Get caught, dodge behind a tree. Or just run until they lose track of me."

"_No_. _Defenses_." Siri enunciated every word, and he could visibly hear the narrowing of her eyes on that statement. "Don't even think about doing something as stupid as provoking them purposely to try out your falsely-deduced assumption. It wouldn't even work."

"Right…" he replied.

"Any more questions before you begin your trial, _Master?_"

"Yeah. What happens when I collect a tear?"

"You're given ninety seconds in which the guardians remain unaware of your presence. In hibernation, if you will," Siri answered. "As long as you avoid the watchers and the waking water, your ninety seconds will remain in charge."

"Wait wait, watchers? Waking water?" Dark felt himself startle.

"Watchers…" Siri began. "They are the poe-like creatures that hover above with lanterns lighting the ground in which they keep watch for you. Avoid their radius, you'll remain uncaught."

"And waking water?" Dark prompted exasperatedly. She was telling him this _now?_

"The puddles of shimmering liquid you see gathered in crevices and such," she replied. "If you touch waking water, and if you get caught by a watcher, the guardians will spring to life and begin seeking you out again. _Regardless_ of how much time you may have left."

"Great." He sighed. "Just great."

"If you'd like a little math, there's a 60% chance you'll complete the trial and emerge from the Silent Realm alive," Siri offered, sounding innocent and mock-cheery.

"And the other 40%?" Dark inquired halfheartedly.

"…You wouldn't like to know."

Shit.

"Is that all, Dark?" _More_ mock-cheeriness. Just what he needed.

"Yes, I suppose," he grumbled lightly, taking a step just beyond the circle in the center of the flower-like design.

"Wait," Siri halted him. "I'm surprised you haven't even asked yet. In order to carry the tears, you use what's called a spirit vessel. It's a part of your spirit's very essence. There are fifteen tears total that you collect in it."

Something emerged from his chest in a quite… ticklish manner. Dark looked down in surprise, lifted his hands as if to catch whatever it was that began to fall. As soon as the feeling stopped and an object floated in his hands, he lifted it up for inspection. It was a viny, twisted stem, with fifteen thorns on alternating sides. Crowning the top in full bloom was an intricate-looking flower, odd, also twisted, but beautiful.

"Wow."

"The petals represent the time you have each time you collect a tear. When your time runs out, it'll wilt," Siri explained. "And as soon as you emerge from your protective circle, the guardians will awaken."

"Alright," Dark responded, nodding. "Here I go…"

And then, in a moment that was quite rare for Siri and Dark, the shadow sword spirit bid, "May the Shadow Goddess Vera be with you." _Without_ a hint of sarcasm or spite.

Before Dark managed to get over his shock and say something in return, her voice faded completely, leaving him utterly and helplessly… _alone_.

* * *

(A/N)

From a fanon-Legend I like to call the "Era of Reflection." Don't you think in the long, long line of Legends within the Legend of Zelda, somewhere along the way Light Link would have to team up with Dark Link to defeat a common evil? And of course we can't forget Fi and her dark counterpart, Siri.

(I don't own the name, btw, but I do stake claim on the "shadow sword spirit" idea. Credit Macintosh/Apple or whoever copyrighted the name "Siri.")

I also don't own the Shadow Goddess Vera. Please credit the owner of her, as well (whoever they may be, I have long forgotten ._.').

Just some fun character development that I decided to share. Feedback? It's like fodder! :)

Thanks for reading!

;/\/\/


End file.
